Keith Doneganhttps://www.keithdonegan.com
Randomness!Mon, 21 Jan 2019 15:20:22 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3My Goals For The Year: 2019 Editionhttps://www.keithdonegan.com/ramblings/2019-goals/
https://www.keithdonegan.com/ramblings/2019-goals/#respondTue, 01 Jan 2019 11:20:28 +0000http://www.keithdonegan.com/?p=3323So, 2018 was a pure disaster as I completed absolutely none of my goals. I won’t make any excuses but it was a tough year, dealing with some personal things …

]]>So, 2018 was a pure disaster as I completed absolutely none of my goals. I won’t make any excuses but it was a tough year, dealing with some personal things that knocked me for six and I hard zero motivation to even think about my goals, let alone try and complete them. But with that said, I feel 2019 will be better so more goals will be created (I know, I know but I enjoy them!).

So without further ado, here are my goals for 2019.

Cycle 500 hours – I was going to leave this one out but I feel I have to leave it in for my sanity (people who ride will understand). So, some audax rides will be planned for the new year.

Finish a 100km ultrarun – Already signed up for this, so lots of training to be done.

Get 1,000 photos accepted as stock – I think I got 100 accepted last year, so this should be interesting.

]]>https://www.keithdonegan.com/ramblings/2019-goals/feed/0Write a Daily Vignette For 30 Dayshttps://www.keithdonegan.com/30-day-challenge/write-a-daily-vignette-for-30-days/
https://www.keithdonegan.com/30-day-challenge/write-a-daily-vignette-for-30-days/#respondFri, 21 Sep 2018 20:33:26 +0000http://www.keithdonegan.com/?p=3395Ok, I think it’s time to get at least one 30 day challenge completed before the end of the year.

]]>Ok, I think it’s time to get at least one 30 day challenge completed before the end of the year.

This time, I want to slow things down a tad, avoid undertaking anything strenuous and concentrate on jotting down little snapshots, or vignettes of my daily life. Now, not that I have many profound thoughts or anything like that, I just think it could be interesting to see what peaks my interest and what I decide to share.

Day 1 – 21/09/18

I remember a time I was one of the most anti-Apple people going, confused why people would pay such a premium to Apple when there are cheaper and better performing products available. Today I own two MacBooks, two iPads, and now two iPhones, having paid over £1,000 for my latest toy; the iPhone XS. The new watch looks nice too…

Day 2 – 22/09/18

Sitting here getting to know one another, a cup of tea turns into a glass of wine; good company, a beautiful view of the river, Inside and cosy on a moody day, not a bad Saturday if you ask me.

Day 3 – 23/09/18

The sun came out today so we made our way over to a place called Porthkerry. Beautiful little beach with hardly a soul around. This place definitely is not London. Need more trips like this I think.

Day 4 – 24/09/18

Chatting to a small business owner today and she informs me the business has been in the family for nearly one hundred years but her kids have no desire to carry it on when she and her husband retire. In a few short years the doors will be closed for good, a few more and long forgotten.

Day 5 – 25/09/18

Feeling overwhelmed today. If I’m being honest with myself, I’m not putting the 100% I should be into my day. I know the main reason but I’m procrastinating about getting it sorted. Note to self, get it sorted.

Day 6 – 26/09/18

I checked my earnings on a stock photo site I occasionally upload to and noticed I’m nearly at $50 in sales. Nothing to write home about but If I look at my upload pattern, there is a correlation to my earnings there. The more I upload, the more money I make. Need to concentrate more on this.

Day 7 – 27/09/18

Walking down to the shops to get lunch, my mind starts to wander, thinking about a few side projects over the years that I never really gave any proper attention to and let die. Looking back, there is one in particular that I had no reason to send to the graveyard, it was only fuelled by fear and doubt. What’s worse, failing or not even trying? I know the answer and will revisit this project.

Day 8 – 28/09/18

The first track chosen to start off the set hits me with such energy, all I can do is grin, put up my hands and just let the bass pulsate through my body. I’m not thinking about anything or any of the little problems in my life, just enjoying the experience with like minded people all around me.

Day 9 – 29/09/18

We arrive early and almost have the place to ourselves, jumping around like kids acting the eejit. She’s elegant and well balanced, I am not, but I don’t care – I’m just enjoying the time together.

Day 10 – 30/09/18

Feeling bloated and pretty shit, the weekend has taken it’s toll. I tell myself I’ll start being better tomorrow, maybe use that gym membership I have laying about or go for a run. Meh, it’s just easier to plonk on the sofa and have a cuppa. But what if I gave six months into working out, I could actually have that elusive ‘summer bod’ and feel amazing. I feel a challenge coming on.

Day 11 – 01/10/18

Inside my head a lot today, processing through a lot of shit. Why can’t we just turn off that little switch that makes us overthink. I believe life for the most part is easy, we just tend to make it difficult.

Day 12 – 02/10/18

Productive day. I love that feeling when you finally get a piece of code working. I was going to carry on a few more hours but stopped around 7pm and went for a stroll by the river. Lovely breeze, beautiful view of the city, today has been a good day.

Day 13 – 03/10/18

I’ve always had a pair of earphones in, walking about ever since secondary school, listening to hard house sets I had taped from the radio. Not much has changed, well apart from the device and playlists. Sure I enjoy my music but deep down I think I like the distraction, something to keep my mind from wandering.

Day 14 – 04/10/18

And so the pendulum swings. Not in the best of moods to put it mildly. I try to snap out of it, but it’s a lost cause. I just don’t have the strength to fight, today.

Day 15 – 05/10/18

One of my life goals is to learn how to make an electronic music track. I’ll get there one day (and it will be naff as hell) but for the interim I will just appreciate the vast catalog of good music on offer. One such track I find today is the above. I tell myself It’s all research for when my time comes.

Day 16 – 06/10/18

Planned to go out shooting today, but the weather had other plans so I stayed in and fired up Black Mirror. Not a day I had planned but no complaints, it is lovely to completely switch off sometimes.

Day 17 – 07/10/18

The weather was better today so I went out with my friend to shoot around City airport. Fifty one photos taken on my fancy DSLR camera and I hated every single one, The only photo I am happy enough with, is the above, taken on my phone. It just goes to show that cameras are only a tool.

Day 18 – 08/10/18

Ive travelled a fair bit during my few years on this planet, totalling thirty one countries so far. It seems like a decent number but not quite as there are one hundred and ninety five countries in the world and I have only visited fifteen percent.

Day 19 – 09/10/18

Met up with a friend I have known for a years now, it was nice seeing them and catching up but a part of me feels like it’s sometimes one sided, you know those friends who mainly contact you when shit is going bad in their life.
We talk, we eat, I listen.

Day 20 – 10/10/18

Lots of thinking going on over the past few days about everything in my life, where I’m at and am I happy. It might be time to concentrate on myself for a bit as I don’t think I can with other commitments.

Day 21 – 11/10/18

Got a nice bit of news today when I logged into one of my stock photography sites and seen I had received a commission of $55 for one of my images. I guess the buyer’s license is for print or something like that. As I said previously I definitely need to spend more time on this.

Day 22 – 12/10/18

Being shown around my new city by a local is a great experience. We talk about anything and everything. She mentions her husband a few times but also that her girlfriend recently broke up with her, and trying not to sound rude I ask her if she is still married, to which she replies yes. She tells me she is polyamorous and is dating a few people… Suddenly I wonder if I am being shown around as a friendly gesture or am I in her cross hairs.

Day 23 – 13/10/18

Waiting patiently at the arrival gates. One of the longest weeks I’ve experienced in quite awhile. Eventually she comes through and I burst out with a silly grin.

Day 24 – 14/10/18

Beautiful day of eating new food, strolling around and watching the world go by. Life isn’t so bad at times.

Day 25 – 15/10/18

31,754 steps walked today, which equates to about 21.5km. I love exploring this slowly and taking as much as possible in.

Day 26 – 16/10/18

The CN Tower was on the list while researching Toronto and I was only planning to go to the viewing deck even though they have a restaurant. But an Uber ride a few days previous, I was told to book the restaurant instead and you can use the viewing deck for free. At $38 for the viewing deck alone, it makes sense to book a table instead. Thank you to the local who was pooling in that Uber.

Day 27 – 17/10/18

We head on to the boat to loop around the falls and I all I can see are phones everywhere, people snapping like crazy, taking videos, looking at this spectacular view up close through a small screen – It just bogles the mind.

Day 28 – 18/10/18

I’m in one of the most hipster eateries I have ever set foot in, beanie hats, moustaches and flannel shirts everywhere. The decor is very kitsch, no real cohesion, and just a mismatch of furniture. I feel I do not belong here… until the food arrives which are breakfast tacos and fried potatoes, absolute perfection.

Who cares about interiors anyway.

Day 29 – 19/10/18

Planned to go to a hockey game but neither of us were too bothered as it was a fair bit out. Ended up just pottering about and spending time together. For the last full day, this was the right choice.

Day 30 – 20/10/18

Wandering back to my airbnb almost on autopilot, feeling a bit melancholy. It has been a great week but all good things must come to an end.

]]>https://www.keithdonegan.com/30-day-challenge/write-a-daily-vignette-for-30-days/feed/0My Experience With Fat Lamahttps://www.keithdonegan.com/ramblings/fat-lama/
https://www.keithdonegan.com/ramblings/fat-lama/#respondSun, 15 Apr 2018 09:34:50 +0000http://www.keithdonegan.com/?p=3371I first heard about Fat Lama via an ad on social media late last year and the idea behind the site peaked my interest.

]]>I first heard about Fat Lama via an ad on social media late last year and the idea behind the site peaked my interest.

Fat Lama is the platform that lets you rent out your belongings to others nearby. Everyday, we connect people who need things, with others in their neighbourhood that have it to lend.

As I recently purchased a camera and lens I thought I’d try the service out to recoup some of the cost as their insurance policy looks pretty decent should anything go wrong .

About a week after signing up and listing my items, I received a request for my 70-200 lens. I almost refused the request after thinking It could be a scam and what had I gotten myself into, but I went ahead with the request and reluctantly rented out my new lens. The borrower and myself met the next day and I went home.

The next day I collected my lens and it was in the same condition, all new and shiny, and I felt a slight fool for thinking the worst but hey I guess it’s normal given the price for camera equipment.

Since my first lens rental, I have since loaned out my gear five more times and made a tidy £186 in total so far.

So if you have some gear collecting dust and would like to earn some beer money, or maybe you would like to rent some equipment without the high prices from specialist hire stores, give Fat Lama a try, if you do they’ll also give you £25 free credit. Bargain.

]]>https://www.keithdonegan.com/ramblings/fat-lama/feed/0London Landmarks Half Marathon 2018 Photographyhttps://www.keithdonegan.com/photography/llhm-2018
https://www.keithdonegan.com/photography/llhm-2018#respondSun, 25 Mar 2018 18:43:11 +0000http://www.keithdonegan.com/?p=3332So earlier today, I made my way over to St James’s Park to meet up with my friend for The London Landmarks Half Marathon. The plan was to practise …

]]>So earlier today, I made my way over to St James’s Park to meet up with my friend for The London Landmarks Half Marathon. The plan was to practise some “sport” photography with my 70-200 lens on the runners. It was good practise trying to capture moving subjects and I think I did an ok job, but there were tons of OOF shots!

Let’s get this out of way first. Blacklock cater to meat lovers and meat lovers only. If you’re a veggie, you could load up on the cheese and pickle pre chop bites or some chips, but I’d venture a guess that this place will not interest you. If, however you are a fan of well seasoned meat, read on my friend.

So these guys have two locations, one in SOHO – Which gets unbelievably busy, and the other branch is in The City – This is the branch I visited. It’s actually a former electricity substation, quite cool.

I have tried unsuccessfully, three times previous to get a table at the SOHO branch, and each time the aroma of all the wonderful chops and steaks was like a slap in the face as I walked back outside into the cold. But don’t feel too sorry for me, I finally made it in and let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint.

First off, the service was on point. My dining partner and I were waited on by a very attentive and nice chap, who gave us recommendations and seemed to know the ‘script’ well. Second, the food. I went with the rib-eye and some chips with a side of salad and it didn’t let me down. The steak was perfectly medium rare, seasoned well, and just mouth watering paired with the béarnaise sauce. But something tells me I should have listened to our friendly waiter and ordered the plate of chops, consisting of Beef sirloin, lamb cutlet, lamb T-bone, pork loin, pork rib, and pork belly. I think a rookie mistake was made here, but I’m very happy with my meal so no complaints, and hey I guess I’ll just have to go back and correct this error. Lastly the price is pretty decent for what you get. We paid about £80 for two people, drinks and service charge.

Also, their undercurrent Pale Ale is fantastic, treat yourself to a tipple.

Holy fucking shit, I have three months to get my ass in gear with my goals! Goodbye free time and lie-ins. Right moving at speed here as I can’t dilly dally.

So this new challenge is exercise heavy and will entail of completing every Strava October challenge. What’s Strava you ask? In a nutshell it tracks your runs, rides and swims. They offer challenges such as ‘run a 10km’ etc each month and I have completed some of them in the past, but this month I want to complete them all! List below.

October Half Marathon – Run a half marathon.

October Gran Fondo – Ride 100km.

October Run Climbing Challenge – Climb at least 2,500 meters.

October Cycling Climbing Challenge – Climb at least 8,000 meters.

October Running Distance Challenge – Run 200km.

October Cycling Distance Challenge – Ride 1,250km.

October 10k – Run a 10k.

Reebok Be More Human Challenge – Run 10 miles.

Wish me luck

EDIT: So, didn’t quite manage to complete all of these goals but did a pretty good job I think. Note to self, keep chipping away at goals every day, don’t leave it too long as the momentum is lost.

Another ride completed earlier today, in aid of Stroke – An organisation that supports stroke survivors and drives research into preventing strokes, and helping survivors to make the best recovery possible.

I didn’t actually sign up to this event myself and wasn’t aware of it to be honest, but a friend had already signed up for himself but couldn’t make it due to work commitments.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this relaxed event. The pace was easy, the course was flat as a pancake (680~ metres of total elevation) and the staff organisers were lovely. The ride starts off and ends at Kings House Sports Ground in Chiswick, with one fuel stop at Waterloo in between to stock up on goodies and water. I did have my doubts regarding how visible the road markings would be but this wasn’t a problem at all, they were clear and well placed. No need for the gps here.

Thanks to all the organisers and fellow riders for making this one awesome day .

]]>https://www.keithdonegan.com/ramblings/thames-bridges-bike-ride/feed/0In Search of a Proper English Fry? Check Out Temple & Sonshttps://www.keithdonegan.com/food/temple-and-sons/
https://www.keithdonegan.com/food/temple-and-sons/#respondSun, 17 Sep 2017 19:45:37 +0000http://www.keithdonegan.com/?p=2978Last week, after my park run, I was hungry… hungry for an old fashioned, no nonsense fry. As I pondered where to go, I remember I had this place on …

]]>Last week, after my park run, I was hungry… hungry for an old fashioned, no nonsense fry. As I pondered where to go, I remember I had this place on my list to check out so off I went to Bank.

After a few.. er detours trying to find the place, due to construction work and blocked lanes, I nearly packed it in due to frustration! I’m glad I persevered though as this place HAS to be experienced.

I do love places that make food with love, and Temple & Sons are of no exception. When I finally made it over and let out a breath of relief upon arrival, I wasted no time and chose my main straight away, with a portion of their buttermilk pancakes and a glass of orange juice – Don’t judge, I ran beforehand!

What arrived at my table soon thereafter was – and I am in no way exaggerating here, The most delicious fry I have ever eaten. The thing was a bloody work of art. It included pork & fennel sausage, bacon, mushrooms, fried potatoes, BBQ beans, eggs and bone marrow toast.

I urge you to make your way over and sample this place whenever you get a chance because the photos live up to the hype.

Here’s a close-up of this magnificent bastard. Just look at it. Kudos Mr Atherton.

Having moved to a new borough earlier in the year, I was elated to find out that I had one of Trip Advisor’s best Sushi spots on my doorstep. (At the time of writing, Zaibatsu is #111 out of 18,263 Restaurants in London). The reviews don’t lie, this place is now one of my favourite sushi spots!

Ok, so if you make the trek over, don’t be put off as you arrive. From the outside this place looks a little grubby (no offence guys), and I had my reservations when walking through the door. The place is tiny, only holding around thirty odd people. But the reasons why this little gem in Greenwich is one of London’s favourite Japanese fusion eateries soon becomes apparent…

Free corkage – That’s right, you can run into Tesco and grab some vino or even some White Lightning if that’s your bag and they will not charge you a penny for serving it.

Service – I have eaten here four times now and without fail, every time the service has been top notch, fast and friendly.

Price – Their prices are very wallet friendly. For example, the above collage of food awesomeness was less than twenty quid! For two people!

Food – The freshness of the food here is obvious and just so damn tasty, enough said.

I think these guys have hit the sweet spot here. The quality of the food, in conjunction with all of the above is why I keep coming back here.

It’s good to note that if you do pop in, they don’t accept any of that fancy apple pay or plastic card business. Bring some cold hard cash with you.

]]>https://www.keithdonegan.com/food/zaibatsu/feed/0Lalang Bed Sheet Fasteners Reviewhttps://www.keithdonegan.com/reviews/lalang-bed-sheet-fasteners/
https://www.keithdonegan.com/reviews/lalang-bed-sheet-fasteners/#respondTue, 30 May 2017 13:18:09 +0000http://keithdonegan.com/?p=2867Last month, I was in Ikea, stuffing my face with their delicious hot dogs getting some new bed sheets, and other items. I bought a “fitted” bed sheet, but the …

]]>Last month, I was in Ikea, stuffing my face with their delicious hot dogs getting some new bed sheets, and other items. I bought a “fitted” bed sheet, but the thing sags and has a lot of extra fabric for my double bed. Something needed to be done, so I had a mozy on Amazon to see if I could find something that could tighten up the sheet.

I found quite a number of these fastener devices, and settled on these lalang bed sheet fasteners. They’re cheap as chips and had some good reviews. If they didn’t work, I wouldn’t lose sleep over the three odd quid I spent.

Today, I have been doing some spring cleaning and while stripping my bed, I found the fasteners, which I had completely forgotten about. For just under a month they have been doing the job perfectly, keeping my sheet nice and tight, so I thought I would sing their praises. While not a massive problem for most I’m sure, these little babies work and if you need some fasteners for your ill-fitting sheets, check them out.